murray



(No Model.)

' W. D. MURRAY.

UQRN HARVESTER. i 110. 321,908. Patented July 7, 1885.

No Model.) I 3 sheets--Sheet 2.

W. D. MURRAY.

GORN HARVESTER.

No. 32,908. Patented July 7, 1885,.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. D. MURRAY.

pom HARVESTER.

1\0.e21,908. PatemdJuly 7,1885.

@74W i ffwjm? NITRD STATES PATENT FFICE@ SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 321,908, dated July 7, 1885.

Application led May 13, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM D. MURRAY, of Hamilton, in the county ofCaldwell and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gorn-Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this speciiication.

My invention relates to an improvement in corn-harvesters; and itconsists, first, in the combination of a single cutting-knife, havingits edges turned upward, and which knife is secured to a bearing whichis vertically adj ustable, and which knife and bearing are returned totheir places by means of coiled springs when left free to move; second,the combination of the tilting platform, the gates which hold the stalksin position, and a mechanism for opening the gatcs,sothat the weight ofthe shock will tilt the platform and drop the shock upon the ground;third, in the combination and arrangement of parts, which will be morefully described hereinafter.

Figure l is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4 is aninverted view. Fig. 5 is a rear view. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectionof one p of the knives.

A represents a suitable frame-work, which is supported in front by theguiding-wheel B, and at the rear by the two wheels C. The guidingwheel Bis placed in a suitable revolvng frame, which has teeth upon its rearend, for the purpose of engaging with the pinion upon the lower end ofthe shaft D.

The operator, standing upon this machine, by simply turning the shaft I)by means of the wheel upon its top, can guide the machine with perfectease, so as to have the cutters come just opposite 4the two rows ofgrowing stalks.

Placed upon each side of the guiding-wheel B is the triangular-shapedknife E, which is secured at its rear end to the cross-.bar F, whichcross-bar is supported in position upon the rods G in such a mannert-hat the crossbar carrying the knife with it has a suitable amount ofvertical movement or play. Upon these rods G, above the tops of thecross-bars, are suitable coiled springs H, for the purpose of returningthe cross-bar and knife to position when they are left free to move.Upon the two outer sides of this knife the edges are turned upward at anangle of aboutfifteen degrees, so as to give a drawing upward cut. Thespring allows the knife to yield to the action of the cut, and returnthe knife to position after passing the stub for the next cut. As themachine is drawn forward the stalks are crowded in between the sides ofthe frame and the edges of the knife, and the forward I movement of theknife against these stalks causes them to be cut. Just back of eachknife is placed the tapering trough or guideway I, in which the lowerends of the stalks are caught and held while they are being movedbackward by the endless belts. EX- tending along over the top of cachknife, and for a suitable distance in advance of its front end, are thetwo belts L M, the one M being shorter and driven or operated only bythe backward Inovement of the stalks. The one L is much longer than theone M, and is operated by means of the large gear-wheel N, which issecured to the driving-wheel G. Upon the lower end of the shaft l?,which is inclined forward, is placed a bevel-gear which meshes with thebevel-gear on the wheel, and also a pulley around which the belt Lpasses. rlhe front end of the belt L is passed around a pul-v ley whichhas its bearing secured to a slide, by means of which the pulley can beadjusted back and forth to tighten or loosen the belt at any time. Thisbelt, being positively operated by the forward movement of the machine,catches the stalks in advance of the cutter and forces them back againstthe knife or cutter, as already described. The belt M, which, like thebelt N, is also provided with metallic rods, arms, or projections, ismade to move along with the stalks. Upon the upper end of the inclinedshaft is placed a second pulley, which drives another long belt, Q, andjust opposite this long belt Q'is a second short belt, R. The beltscatch the upper ends of the stalks and hold them in a vertical positionwhile they are being moved backward.

Secured to the frame-work are suitable metallic rods or guides, S,whichproject outward near the rear ends of these belts on their in- ICO nersides, and which rods not only serve to disengage the stalks from thearms or teeth of the belts, but at the same time help to keep the stalksin an upright position as they are being moved upon the platform. Thearms, rods, or spikes which project from the belts are made long enoughto cross each other, and thus the stalks, after being once caughtbetween the belts, are kept moving continuously backward as long as themachine is in motion7 and as the stalks are prevented from falling atany time they are delivered in a vertical position upon the platformready to be bound into a shock by the operator. The platform T, which ispivoted in front of its center, is supported near its rear end, whenclosed by the gates or doors U; but when the doors or gates are openedwill tilt downward from the weight of the shock placed upon it and dropit upon the ground. In order to keep the gates or doors closed until itis desired that they shall be opened for the purpose of dropping theshock, each one is provided with a toothed segment,V, which meshes witha rackbar, IV. These rack-bars are connected at their front ends bymeans of the couplingrods X with the arms on the rocking shaft Y. Thisshaft is operated by means of the lever Z, which projects up above theplatform where the operator is standing. Vhen it is desired to open thegates, the operator has butto move his lever, when the rack-bars areforced outward, and their motion thereby throws the gates wide open,when the platform, being no longer supported, the shock causes it totilt backward. The stalks are delivered in a vertical position upon thisplatform, so that the operator can bind them into shocks. Then it isdesired to bind the shock and deposit it upon the ground, the forwardmovement of the machine is stopped for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a stalk-cutter, acutting-knife having its edges turned upward at an angle, substantiallyas shown.

2. The combination of a single knife or cutter, a supporting cross-bar,guiding-rods upon which the crossbar rises and falls, and springs forreturning the crossbar and knife to position, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a corn-harvester, the combination of the tilting platform, the twodoors which act as supports for its rear end, the operating-1everconnected to the shaft Y, the sliding rackbars XV, and the segments V,connected to the doors, and operated bythe rack-bars, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM D. MURRAY.

Vitnesses:

II. K. MoCoY, C. C. McCoY.

